The revised notice includes additional disclosure expectations that apply to all issuers with U.S. marijuana-related activities, including those with direct and indirect involvement in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana, as well as issuers that provide goods and services to third parties involved in the U.S. marijuana industry. Issuers are expected to provide these disclosures in prospectus filings and other required documents, such as their Annual Information Form and Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

The CSA will continue to monitor developments in the U.S. marijuana industry.

Review the press release on the CSA's website and the Staff Notice on the CSA members’ websites.

There is compelling evidence that innovation has been an important reason behind rising income inequality in advanced economies in recent decades.2 Research also finds that rising inequality can result in weaker and less-stable macroeconomic outcomes. This places us, as policy-makers, at a crossroads. Do we choose to stay on the same road and repeat the past? Or do we apply fresh thinking to policy and choose a new road where innovation delivers even stronger and more-inclusive growth?

This is the challenge that the G7 countries have set for themselves for 2018. Canada is proud to lead the G7’s work this year to better understand the issues so that we can set priorities for policy.

Review the remarks on the Bank of Canada's website.

In December 2017, the IASB concluded its discussions of the scope of the project and the webinar discussed the Board’s decisions and gives illustrative examples of transactions within the scope. The recording of the webinar lasts approximately 35 minutes.

Access the recording on the IASB's website.

The Department notes that a Mutual Evaluation report by the Financial Action Task Force ("FATF") found that Canada has strong anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing legislation and regulations, but noted there are several areas where action could be taken to ensure the framework meets technical standards and is even more effective.

Review the publication on the Department's website.

The supplemental draft Guidance is designed to help organizations worldwide respond to the increasing prevalence and severity of ESG-related risks, ranging from extreme weather events to product safety recalls.

COSO and WBCSD are seeking public comment on the draft Gu​idance and the previously released Executive Summary through June 30, 2018. Comment letters may be provided to risk@wbcsd.org​.

The guidance and executive summary are available on the COSO's website.

• Preliminary Draft Guidance
• Preliminary​ Draft Guidance (printable)
• Draft Executive Summary
• Draft Executive Summary (printable)​

Review the press release on the COSO's website.

This first report in a series of case studies across different countries that looks at significant developments in ESG reporting seeks to address the challenges, opportunities and next steps for corporate reporting and disclosure.

Review the report on the WBCSD's website.

From its intraday peak in December 2017 of $19,783, the price for bitcoin had fallen to $8,524, a decline of over 60%. Bitcoin’s price has fallen before and it has generally proven to be volatile. The price may yet escalate again. But if it has always been hard to specify a reason for the phenomenal price movements of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, there certainly have been recent developments aplenty to undermine the price for these digital assets.

Review the blog on the D&O Diary's website.

The HLEG calls on the European Commission (EC) to “place greater emphasis on the need to integrate non-financial information” in the EU Directive on non-financial reporting. The final report states, “The ultimate ambition has to be convergence or integration of financial and non-financial or sustainability information… Integrated reporting supports this convergence qualitatively through reporting that links sustainability factors with company strategy.”

Review the final report and supporting materials on the EC's website.

In a video interview, he talks about progress with our regular columnist Robert Bruce.

Richard Howitt is confident about the future. And he has, he says, good reason to be so. Just as it took a while for the concept of integrated reporting to take hold around the world, there are now clear signs that integrated thinking, the key concept that underlies integrated reporting, is equally taking hold, the two concepts "go hand in hand" he said. He points to, for example, the global professional accounting body, IFAC.

It described integrated reporting as "the future of company reporting". He points to the High Level Experts’ Group on Sustainable Finance. It described integrated reporting as "the ultimate ambition". For Howitt, it is recognition that the journey of the concept of integrated reporting is still on course.

And Howitt was also encouraged by the IASB’s recent decision to revise its Management Commentary practice statement so that it was ever more closely aligned to integrated reporting. "That was", he said, "a very, very significant decision".

One of the obstacles that companies cite as a barrier is the absence of a global Standard for metrics, outside the mainstream financial numbers. There are many frameworks and standard-setting bodies in the this field and Howitt sees the Corporate Reporting Dialogue, which sits in the IIRC structure as a means of removing this obstacle.

There will be many a bump along the road ahead. The concept of integrated thinking as the ultimate transformative goal needs more emphasis. But progress is being made.

Read the entire column on our Global IAS Plus site.

There are four good reasons why options deserve another look, especially in times when many believe: (i) companies should be investing for the longer term, (ii) companies should be encouraging more innovation with longer payback periods, and (iii) economic growth is increasing.

Review the full article on Semler Brossy's website.